Suturing device provided with casing and depression formed in the same for receiving suturing target

Abstract

In a suturing device, a casing has an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction. A needle is positioned in the casing, is configured to hold a first thread-like member, and has a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position positioned backward than the first position in the longitudinal direction. A depression is formed in a peripheral wall of the casing, is positioned between the first and second positions in the longitudinal direction, and is configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing. The shuttle includes a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member. The shuttle is configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and a loop formed in the first thread-like member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A suturing device comprising:
 a casing having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction; 
 a needle positioned in the casing and having an elongated shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the needle being configured to hold a first thread-like member and to reciprocally move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction to form a loop in the first thread-like member, the needle having a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position in the longitudinal direction in the reciprocal movement of the needle in the longitudinal direction, the first position being positioned forward than the second position in the longitudinal direction; 
 a depression formed in a peripheral wall of the casing and positioned between the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction, the depression being configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing; and 
 a shuttle including a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member, the shuttle being configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and the loop; 
 wherein the depression has a first dimension in the longitudinal direction and a second dimension in a depthwise direction, the second dimension being smaller than the first dimension. 
 
     
     
       2. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle provides a stroke length in the longitudinal direction, and
 wherein is greater than the first dimension of the depression. 
 
     
     
       3. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a hollow cylindrical member. 
     
     
       4. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle is configured to permit the first thread-like member extending from the tip end to be shaped into the loop when the tip end moves backward along the path in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       5. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a clamping mechanism configured to place a suturing target in contact with the depression and to immobilize the suturing target relative to the casing. 
     
     
       6. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle is constituted by a tubule having an opening positioned at a tip end portion of the tubule, the first thread-like member passing through the tubule and being exposed to an outside of the needle through the opening. 
     
     
       7. The suturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle is constituted by a tubule having an opening positioned at a peripheral wall of the tubule, the first thread-like member passing through the tubule and being exposed to an outside of the needle through the opening. 
     
     
       8. A suturing device comprising:
 a casing having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction; 
 a needle positioned in the casing and having an elongated shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the needle being configured to hold a first thread-like member and to reciprocally move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction to form a loop in the first thread-like member, the needle having a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position in the longitudinal direction in the reciprocal movement of the needle in the longitudinal direction, the first position being positioned forward than the second position in the longitudinal direction; 
 a depression formed in a peripheral wall of the casing and positioned between the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction, the depression being configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing; and 
 a shuttle including a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member, the shuttle being configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and the loop; 
 wherein the shuttle has one end portion provided with a first hook-shaped portion configured to acquire the loop, the first hook-shaped portion being configured to permit the second thread-like member to pass through the loop; and 
 wherein the shuttle has another end portion provided with a second hook-shaped portion configured to acquire the loop, the second hook-shaped portion being configured to permit the second thread-like member to pass through the loop, the first hook-shaped portion and the second hook-shaped portion being positioned opposite to each other with respect to the holding portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The suturing device according to  claim 8 , wherein the first hook-shaped portion has a first end with an acutely angled tip, the first hook-shaped portion tapering away from the holding portion toward the first end, and
 wherein the second hook-shaped portion has a second end with an acutely angled tip, the second hook-shaped portion tapering away from the holding portion toward the second end. 
 
     
     
       10. The suturing device according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a shuttle guide member fitted within the casing and having a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction and providing a circumferential direction, the casing having a center axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the shuttle guide member being movable relative to the casing along the center axis and non-rotatable relative to the casing about the center axis, the shuttle guide member including a guide portion formed into an annular shape, the guide portion being configured to guide the shuttle in the circumferential direction; and 
 a shuttle operating shaft having an end portion connected to the shuttle guide member such that the end portion is immovable relative to the shuttle guide member along the center axis and rotatable relative to the shuttle guide member about the center axis, 
 wherein rotation of the shuttle operating shaft in a first rotating direction about the center axis permits the shuttle to pass through the loop such that the first hook-shaped portion is a leading end in the movement of the shuttle within the casing at the third position, and rotation of the shuttle operating shaft in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction about the center axis permits the shuttle to pass through the loop such that the second hook-shaped portion is a leading end in the movement of the shuttle within the casing at the third position. 
 
     
     
       11. The suturing device according to  claim 10 , further comprising a pusher fixed to the end portion of the shuttle operating shaft, the pusher being configured to abut against one of the one end portion and the another end portion of the shuttle to move the shuttle along the guide portion. 
     
     
       12. The suturing device according to  claim 11 , wherein the pusher has an arcuate shape with a circumferential length corresponding to an angle less than 180 degrees whose vertex is the center axis. 
     
     
       13. The suturing device according to  claim 11 , wherein the shuttle and the pusher are spaced away from each other in the circumferential direction. 
     
     
       14. The suturing device according to  claim 10 , wherein the shuttle has an arcuate shape with a circumferential length corresponding to an angle less than 180 degrees whose vertex is the center axis. 
     
     
       15. The suturing device according to  claim 10 , wherein the shuttle guide member has a space extending in the longitudinal direction and in communication with the guide portion, the space being configured to accommodate therein the first thread-like member positioned on the path. 
     
     
       16. The suturing device according to  claim 15 , wherein the shuttle guide member comprises:
 a main body having a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction and reciprocally movable relative to the casing in the longitudinal direction, the end portion of the first operating shaft penetrating through the main body; and 
 a head fixed to the main body and having a shortened cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the head forming the guide portion in cooperation with the main body to guide the shuttle in the circumferential direction. 
 
     
     
       17. A suturing device comprising:
 a casing having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction; 
 a needle positioned in the casing and having an elongated shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the needle being configured to hold a first thread-like member and to reciprocally move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction to form a loop in the first thread-like member, the needle having a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position in the longitudinal direction in the reciprocal movement of the needle in the longitudinal direction, the first position being positioned forward than the second position in the longitudinal direction; 
 a depression formed in a peripheral wall of the casing and positioned between the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction, the depression being configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing; 
 a shuttle including a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member, the shuttle being configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and the loop; 
 a shuttle guide member fitted within the casing and having a cylindrical shape extending in the longitudinal direction and providing a circumferential direction, the casing having a center axis extending in the longitudinal direction, the shuttle guide member being movable relative to the casing along the center axis and non-rotatable relative to the casing about the center axis, the shuttle guide member including a guide portion formed into an annular shape, the guide portion being configured to guide the shuttle in the circumferential direction; and 
 an operating shaft having an end portion connected to the shuttle guide member such that the end portion is immovable relative to the shuttle guide member along the center axis and rotatable relative to the shuttle guide member about the center axis. 
 
     
     
       18. A suturing device comprising:
 a casing having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the casing has a guide groove configured to guide the needle in the longitudinal direction; 
 a needle positioned in the casing and having an elongated shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the needle being configured to hold a first thread-like member and to reciprocally move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction to form a loop in the first thread-like member, the needle having a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position in the longitudinal direction in the reciprocal movement of the needle in the longitudinal direction, the first position being positioned forward than the second position in the longitudinal direction; 
 a depression formed in a peripheral wall of the casing and positioned between the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction, the depression being configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing; 
 a shuttle including a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member, the shuttle being configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and the loop; and 
 a friction member disposed in the guide groove and contactable with the needle. 
 
     
     
       19. A suturing device comprising:
 a casing having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction; 
 a needle positioned in the casing and having an elongated shape extending in the longitudinal direction, the needle being configured to hold a first thread-like member and to reciprocally move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction to form a loop in the first thread-like member, the needle having a tip end reciprocally moving along a path extending between a first position and a second position in the longitudinal direction in the reciprocal movement of the needle in the longitudinal direction, the first position being positioned forward than the second position in the longitudinal direction; 
 a depression formed in a peripheral wall of the casing and positioned between the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction, the depression being configured to expose the needle to an outside of the casing; 
 a shuttle including a holding portion configured to hold a second thread-like member, the shuttle being configured to move within the casing at a third position between the first position and the depression in the longitudinal direction to change relative position between the second thread-like member and the loop; and 
 a hook member positioned in the casing and movable in the longitudinal direction; 
 wherein both of the first thread-like member and the second thread-like member are parts of a single thread-like member, the hook member being configured to hook a part of the single thread-like member positioned between the needle and the shuttle. 
 
     
     
       20. The suturing device according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a needle operating shaft connected to the needle, the needle operating shaft being configured to reciprocally move the needle in the longitudinal direction and to rotate the needle about an axis of the needle; and 
 a hook operating shaft connected to the hook member, the hook operating shaft being configured to reciprocally move the hook member in the longitudinal direction and to rotate the hook member about an axis of the hook member.